The development of plastic blood collection bags has facilitated the separation of donated whole blood into its various components and analogous products, thereby making these different blood products (e.g., platelet concentrates) available as a transfusion product.
With the passage of time and accumulation of research and clinical data, transfusion practices have changed greatly. One aspect of current practice is that whole blood is rarely administered; rather, patients needing red blood cells are given packed red cells, patients needing platelets are given platelet concentrate, and patients needing plasma are given plasma.
For this reason, the separation of blood into components has substantial therapeutic and monetary value. This is nowhere more evident than in treating the increased damage to a patient's immune system caused by the higher doses and stronger drugs now used during chemotherapy for cancer patients. These more aggressive chemotherapy protocols are directly implicated in the reduction of the platelet content of the blood to abnormally low levels; associated internal and external bleeding additionally requires more frequent transfusions of PC, and this has put pressure on blood banks to increase the platelet yield per unit of blood.
A typical component separation procedure used in the United States, the citrate-phosphate-dextrose-adenine (CPDA-1) system, utilizes a series of steps to separate donated blood into three components, each component having substantial therapeutic and monetary value. The procedure typically utilizes a blood collection bag which is integrally attached via flexible tubing to at least one, and preferably two or more, satellite bags. Using centrifugation, whole blood may be separated by differential sedimentation into such valuable blood components as plasma, packed red cells (PRC), platelets suspended in clear plasma (platelet-rich plasma, or PRP), platelet concentrate (PC), and cryoprecipitate (which may require extra processing).
A typical whole blood collection and processing procedure may include the following:
(1) A unit of donated whole blood (about 450 ml in United States practice) is collected from the donor's vein directly into the blood collection bag which contains the nutrient and anti-coagulant containing CPDA-1. PA1 (2) The blood collection bag is centrifuged (slow speed, or "soft-spin" centrifugation) together with its satellite bags, thereby concentrating the red cells as PRC in the lower portion of the blood collection bag and leaving in the upper portion of the bag a suspension of PRP. PA1 (3) The blood collection bag is transferred, with care not to disturb the interface between the supernatant PRP layer and the sedimented PRC layer, into a device known as a "plasma extractor." The plasma extractor or expressor typically includes front and back plates; the two plates are hinged together at their lower ends and spring biased toward each other such that a pressure of about 90 millimeters of mercury is developed within the bag. PA1 (4) The PRP-containing satellite bag, together with another satellite bag, is then removed from the extractor and centrifuged at an elevated G force (high speed or "hard-spin" centrifugation) with the time and speed adjusted so as to concentrate the platelets into the lower portion of the PRP bag. When centrifugation is complete, the PRP bag contains sedimented platelets in its lower portion and clear plasma in its upper portion. PA1 (5) The PRP bag is then placed in the plasma extractor, and most of the clear plasma is expressed into a satellite bag, leaving the PRP bag containing only the sedimented platelets and about 50 ml of plasma; then in a subsequent step, this platelet composition is dispersed to make platelet concentrate (PC). The PRP bag, now containing a PC product, is then detached and stored for up to five days at 20.degree.-24.degree. C., until needed for a transfusion of platelets. Multiple units of platelets (e.g., from 6-10 donors, if for transfusion into an adult patient) may be pooled into a single platelet transfusion. PA1 (6) The plasma in the satellite bag may itself be transfused into a patient, or it may be separated by complex processes into a variety of other valuable products.
With the blood collection bag positioned between the two plates, a valve, seal or a closure in or on the flexible tubing is opened allowing the supernatant PRP to flow into a first satellite bag. As the PRP flows out of the blood collection bag, the interface with the PRC rises. In current practice, the operator must closely observe the position of the interface as it rises and clamp off the connecting tube when, in his judgment, as much PRP has been transferred as is possible, without allowing red cells to enter the first satellite bag. This is a labor intensive and time consuming operation during which the operator must visually monitor the bag and judiciously and arbitrarily ascertain when to shut-off the connecting tube.
The blood collection bag, now containing only PRC, may be detached and stored at 4.degree. C. until required for transfusion into a patient, or a valve or seal in the tubing may be opened so that the PRC may be transferred to a satellite bag using either the pressure generated by the plasma extractor, or by placing the blood collection apparatus in a pressure cuff, or by elevation to obtain gravity flow.
Commonly used systems other than CPDA-1 include Adsol, Nutricell, and SAG-M. In these latter systems, the collection bag contains only anti-coagulant, and the nutrient solution may be preplaced in a satellite bag. This nutrient solution is transferred into the PRC after the PRP has been separated from the PRC, thereby achieving a higher yield of plasma and longer storage life for the PRC.
In view of this, there is a growing need for an efficient system and method for separating a biological fluid (e.g., whole blood) into its components. Blood bank personnel have responded to the increased need for blood components by attempting to increase PRC and PC yields in a variety of ways. In separating the PRC and PRP fractions (e.g., step 3 above), blood bank personnel have attempted to express more PRP prior to stopping flow from the blood collection bag, but this has often proved to be counterproductive, since the PRP, and the PC subsequently extracted from it, are frequently contaminated by red cells, giving a pink or red color to the normally light yellow PC. The presence of red cells in PC is so highly undesirable that pink or red PC is frequently discarded, or subjected to recentrifugation, both of which increase operating costs and are labor intensive. As a result, blood bank personnel must err on the side of caution by stopping the flow of PRP before it has been fully expressed. Thus, the PC is uncontaminated, but the unexpressed plasma, which is valuable, may be wasted.
This reflects another problem when attempting to increase the yield of individual blood components. While each component is valuable, any savings resulting from increasing the yield may be offset by the increased labor cost, if the operator of the processing system must continuously and carefully monitor the system to increase the yield.
The devices and methods of this invention alleviate the above-described problems and, in addition, provide a higher yield of superior quality PRC and PC.
The separation of the various blood components using centrifugation is attended by a number of other problems. For example, when PRP is centrifuged to obtain a layer consisting principally of platelets concentrated at the bottom of the PRP-containing bag, e.g., step 4 above, the platelets so concentrated tend to form a dense aggregate which must be dispersed in plasma to form platelet concentrate. The dispersion step is usually carried out by gentle mixing, for example, by placing the bag on a moving table which rotates with a processing tilted motion. This mixing requires several hours, a potentially undesirable delay, and is believed by many researchers to produce a partially aggregated platelet concentrate. It is further believed that the platelets may be damaged by the forces applied during centrifugation.
Finally, a problem attendant with the separation of various blood components using a multiple bag system and centrifugation is that highly valuable blood components become trapped in the conduits connecting the various bags and in the various devices that may be used in the system.
Conventional processing and storage techniques may also present problems. For example, air, in particular oxygen, present in stored blood and blood components, or in the storage container, may lead to an impairment of the quality of the blood components, and may decrease their storage life. More particularly, oxygen may be associated with an increased metabolic rate (during glycolysis), which may lead to decreased storage life, and decreased viability and function of whole blood cells. For example, during storage red blood cells metabolize glucose, producing lactic and pyruvic acids. These acids decrease the pH of the medium, which in turn decreases metabolic functions. Furthermore, the presence of air or gas in the satellite bag may present a risk when a patient is transfused with a blood component. For example, as little as 5 ml of air or gas may cause severe injury or death. Despite the deleterious effect of oxygen on storage life and the quality of blood and blood components, the prior art has not addressed the need to remove gases from blood processing systems during collection and processing.
In addition to the above-listed components, whole blood contains white blood cells (known collectively as leucocytes) of various types, of which the most important are granulocytes and lymphocytes. White blood cells provide protection against bacterial and viral infection. The transfusion of blood components which have not been leucocyte-depleted is not without risk to the patient receiving the transfusion. Some of these risks are detailed in U.S. Pat. No. 4,923,620, and in U.S. Pat. No. 4,880,548, which are incorporated herein by reference.
In the above described centrifugal method for separating blood into the three basic fractions, the leucocytes are present in substantial quantities in both the packed red cells and platelet-rich plasma fractions. It is now generally accepted that it is highly desirable to reduce the leucocyte concentration of these blood components to as low a level as possible. While there is no firm criterion, it is generally accepted that many of the undesirable effects of transfusion would be reduced if the leucocyte content were reduced by a factor of about 100 or more prior to administration to the patient. This approximates reducing the average total content of leucocytes in a single unit of PRC to less than about 1.times.10.sup.6, and in a unit of PRP or PC to less than about 1.times.10.sup.5. Devices which have previously been developed in attempts to meet this objective have been based on the use of packed fibers, and have generally been referred to as filters. However, it would appear that processes utilizing filtration based on separation by size cannot succeed for two reasons. First, leucocytes can be larger than about 15 .mu.m (e.g., granulocytes and macrocytes) to as small as 5 to 7 .mu.m (e.g., lymphocytes). Together, granulocytes and lymphocytes represent the major proportion of all of the leucocytes in normal blood. Red blood cells are about 7 .mu.m in diameter, i.e., they are about the same size as lymphocytes, one of the two major classes of leucocytes which must be removed. Secondly, all of these cells deform so that they are able to pass through much smaller openings than their normal size. Accordingly, it has been widely accepted that removal of leucocytes is accomplished mainly by adsorption on the internal surfaces of porous media, rather than by filtration.
Leucocyte depletion is particularly important with respect to a blood component such as PC. Platelet concentrates prepared by the differential centrifugation of blood components will have varying levels of leucocyte contamination related to the time and to the magnitude of the force developed during centrifugation. The level of leucocyte contamination in unfiltered conventional platelet preparations of 6 to 10 pooled units is generally at a level of about 5.times.10.sup.8 or greater. It has been demonstrated that leucocyte removal efficiencies of 81 to 85% are sufficient to reduce the incidence of febrile reactions to platelet transfusions. Several other recent studies report a reduction in alloimmunization and platelet refractoriness at levels of leucocyte contamination below about 1.times.10.sup.7 per unit. For a single unit of PC averaging a leucocyte contamination level (under current practice) of about 7.times.10.sup.7 leucocytes, the goal after filtration is less than 1.times.10.sup.4 leucocytes. The existing studies, therefore, suggest the desirability of at least a two log (99%) reduction of leucocyte contamination. More recent studies suggest that a three log (99.9%) or even a four log (99.99%) reduction would be significantly more beneficial.
An additional desirable criterion is to restrict platelet loss to about 15% or less of the original platelet concentration. Platelets are notorious for being "sticky", an expression reflecting the tendency of platelets suspended in blood plasma to adhere to any non-physiological surface to which they are exposed. Under many circumstances, they also adhere strongly to each other.
In any system which depends upon filtration to remove leucocytes from a platelet suspension, there will be substantial contact between platelets and the internal surfaces of the filter assembly. The filter assembly must be such that the platelets have minimal adhesion to, and are not significantly adversely affected by contact with, the filter assembly's internal surfaces.
If the leucocyte depletion device comprises a porous structure, microaggregates, gels, fibrin, fibrinogen and fat globules tend to collect on or within the pores, causing blockage which inhibits flow. Conventional processes, in which the filter for depleting leucocytes from PRC is pre-conditioned by passing saline through the filter assembly with or without a post-filtration saline flush, are undesirable because the liquid content of the transfusion is unduly increased, thus potentially overloading the patient's circulatory system with liquid. An objective of an embodiment of this invention is a leucocyte depletion device which removes leucocytes and these other elements with high efficiency and without clogging, requires no preconditioning prior to processing PRC derived from freshly drawn blood, and does not require post-filtration flushing to reclaim red cells remaining in the filter.
Because of the high cost and limited availability of blood components, a device comprising a porous medium used to deplete leucocytes from biological fluid should deliver the highest possible proportion of the component present in the donated blood. An ideal device for the leucocyte depletion of PRC or PRP would be inexpensive, relatively small, and be capable of rapidly processing blood components obtained from about one unit or more of biological fluid (e.g., donated whole blood), in, for example, less than about one hour. Ideally, this device would reduce the leucocyte content to the lowest possible level, while maximizing the yield of a valuable blood component while minimizing an expensive, sophisticated, labor intensive effort by the operator of the system. The yield of the blood component should be maximized while at the same time delivering a viable and physiologically active component--e.g., by minimizing damage due to centrifugation, and/or the presence of air or gas. It may also be preferable that the PRC porous medium be capable of removing platelets, as well as fibrinogen, fibrin strands, tiny fat globules, and other components such as microaggregates which may be present in whole blood.